House construction



L. BRANDT.

HOUSE CONSTRUCTION.

APPLlCAi'lOH FILED MAY 11, I9l8. 1 421 1 24 Patented June 27, 1922.

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27,57 r 2 am m 6 S Lewis Brandi;

1- "HKKM 6H0! ma s L. BRANDT.

HOUSE CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 11, 1918.

Patented June 27, 1922.v

8 SHEETSSHEET 2- S! wuexiatoz L. BRAND T;

HOUSE CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED MAYII. I918.

Patented J uno 27, 1922;

8 SHEETSShEET 3- lwucutoz TXWM 77 Lez vi a L. BRANDT.

HOUSE CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED MAY11,19I8.

Patented June 27, 1922.

8 SHEETSSHEET 4. MW 24 fig 17 WWW E yf ami/bylaw L. BRANDT.

HOUSE CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION'HLED MAYH. ISIB;

Patented June 27, 1922.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 5- Fwy W L. BRANDT.

. HOUSE cowsmucnow. APPLICATION FILED MAY I1, 1918.

1,421,124. v Patented June27, 1922.

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. I ll ll u lg L 3w oz (WWW Lewis Brand burgh, in the county of Allegheny and State p which the following is a- UNITED STATES PATENT ,OFFICE.

nousn CONSTRUCTION.

Lpplication filed may 11,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Lnwis BRANDT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittshave invented new and usein House Construction, of

specification.

The present invention relates to houses of Pennsylvania, ful Improvements and more particularly to houses of. a type adaptable to industrial housing operations;

- which operations demand the erectionof a ing, of the large number of houses in a minimum time and at a minimum expense, such houses be ing generally of small type and design and finish.

While the houses constructed in accordance with my invention are, generally speakportable type, iii that they are manufactured from units or panels as to floors, walls, partitions, and roof, so that the difiiculties of transportation and assembling are minimized, yet they differ from the so called ready-cut type in that, instead of merely cutting the material out and thenv assembling it piece by piece, standardized panels or units are built which are locked or tied together, so that in the assembled structure a permanency and stability is secur'ed' by my improvements which dispartitions, or ceilings by .ations is done away with.

- to those skilled in largest unit can be handled by tinguishes the present development from the knock-downtor portable houses and, furthermore, the

reduced. The invention contemplates, therefore, a construction in which thestructural units orpanels are completely built at the mill,

"such units. being of a size which will per init them to be easily loaded for transportation and to be easily handled at the point of erection, preferably of such sizethat the two men. Furthermore, the construction is such that the work of. assembling and erecting the 'unitsmay. be done by unskilled labor and in a very short space of time. Finally, by the means herein disclosed, the house when erected is finished both as to inside and out; side trim, and the necessity of finishing walls,

independent oper- "In order that theinvention may be clear the art, I have shown in drawings one embodiment but it will be understood both illustrative and dethe accompanying of the invention, that this disclosure,

Specification of Letters Patent.

of the invention and in no sense restrictive general disposition of the units or panels in of simple frames, and .a portion of a side and a parti- 7 particularly adapted for interior partitions.

Patented June 27, 1922. 1918. Serial No. 283,960.

scriptive, is one example or adaptation thereof.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of a house built in accord- '60 ance with the present invention to show the the completed house.

Figure 2 is a viewin vertical section of the floor, side wall, ceiling and roo the'65 side wall being broken horizontally for lack of space.

Figure 3 is an enlarged view in vertical sectionshowing the sills or girders, the floor tion wall.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but taken at right angles to the section in that figure.

Fjig'ure 5 is a view in horizontal section of a partitionwall and a side wall-with a trim or finish of tongue and groove stuff. I Figure 6 is a viewin horizontal section- I to show the corner construction and illustrates an outer" side wall having vertical Y sheathing. i

Figure 7 'is a view similar tov Fig. 6 showing a slightly different corner construction and illustrating an outer side wall having horizontally arranged sheathing.

'Figure 8 is a vertical sectionof the'roof and side wall to show the manner of as-. sembling. V

Figure 9 is'a sectional view taken at right angles to'the section of Fig. 8 substantially on the line 9-9 of Fig. 8.

Figure 10 is a perspective'view of a unit or panel. v

Figure 11 is a perspective view of a portion of a slightly modified type of panel Fi re 12 is a view in elevation of a win ow panel frame.

Figure '13 is a view'in elevation of a comp 't panel having installed therein a 1 window;

Figure 1A is a vertical section of the window panel shown'in Fig. 13. Y

Figure 15 is a view inelevation of a door panel'frame. I

Figure 16 's a view in elevation of a door panel. p Figure 17 is a view in vertical section of the panel shown in Fig. 16.

m'verticalsection on 11 Figure .18 IS a view plates will be mounted the thereto the flooring materials 13 Fig. 4 at 14, but will an enlarged scale of the window panel, the view being broken horizontally for compactness of illustration.

Figure 19 is a detail view in horizontal section on substantially the line 19-19, Fig. 16.' I

eferring to the drawings by'numbers,

like numbers. indicating like parts in the several views, -10 (Fig. 2) denotes the ground plates or sleepers of the building, which will, of course, be cut to suitable lengths and dimensions and rest upon any suitable supports or foundations, suchas piers, walls, or the like. Upon the said 11 and secured thereto in any uitable manner. Upon this base will be erected the building made n accordance with my invention. 1

The flooring will be made up of units or panels of substantially uniform size and comprising the framing pieces 12 made'up secured w 7 ich may The flooring will into rectangular frames and havin be of any suitable type. be laid with its edges flush with the frame on two sides so as to make a flush joint where the panels come-together as shown in be extended beyond the framlng pieces12 on the other two sides of the panel as shown in Fig. 3 at 15 so as to project beyond and overlie the 'rders or sills 11 and make a flush joint with the flooring of a succeeding panel. A furr' piece 15- will preferably be provided to overlie the sleeper and abut the edge of the flooring 13 as shown in Figures 2 and 4.

These floor panels, scribed, are furnished in suflicient number for the area of the foundation to be built upon, and are assembled and secured together by means of bolts 16 by which they are secured both tothe sills or girders and to one another as clearly shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4. Uponthe floor structures described will be erected the side and partition walls of the building, and these side and partition walls are made up of units or panels, which, as best shown in Fig.10, comprise frames made up of end framing pieces 18 secure together in any suitable manner, cross braces 19 be' provided if desired, and diagonally disposed braces 19, laid between the cross braces to further strengthen the unit, may be inserted. The end pieces 18 of' these panels will be provided with boltholes 20 to receive lag screws or bolts, to fasten them to the floor and secure them to the ceiling hereinafter to be described, and preferably the holes 20 in the lower or base piece of the .unit will be inclined as shown, in. order that the lag screws may be conven'mntly driven at an angle from the outside of the tion. The outside sills or girders jacent panels arebolted to 28- is provided on the constructed as de 31. It will be seen that Vertical framing ieces 17 and rip 32 trnn 21 may-beof any Th suitable type. The'inside trim 22 may also be of any suitable type, either tongue and groove, rock-board, or lath and plaster, but will not extend the full length of the panel, so as to leave a Working space 23 at each end of the paneh-a cross brace 24 being provided to which the ends of the inside trim are secured. This working space, as shown in Fig. 10, is on one side of the panel only and in the case of the side wall units this this working opening might be on the outer side of the panel if desired, or both sides of the panel might be provided with a working space; and as shown in Fig. 3, the partition panels will have theworklng space accessible from both sides. This working space 23 enables the laborer access to the interior of the which the adone another, the side framing pieces 17 being provided with bolt holes 27 to -receive the tying bolts,and

set up the tying bolts 26 by preferably be the construction although preferably to center and'bring into immedi- I ate registry with each other the successive panels, a dowel pin or; other side framing, piece 17 to engage a suitable recess or hole in the adjoining frame. "The side panels, secured projections to the fioor and to one another as described,

will be secured to the ceiling panels by hook bolts 29 (Fig. 2) which pass through bolt holes/in the end pieces into the working space at the upper end of the wall panels. After the erection of the side and partition walls in themanner described, the working openings will be closed by base and frieze boards 31 as shown in. Fig. 2 thus completing the finishin building. Pre

units to support the base and frieze boards operation involves only th'e applyi of the base and frieze boards Hg openings at the top and bottom of the side walls, and no independent wall-finishing operations are necessary. 7

.It will be observed from Figs. 2, 3- and 4 that the outside sheathing of the panel pro jects slightly beyond'the 18 at the lower end so \as'to lap the at the'bottom, and the space at the, of the structure will" be board- 32 which may be fashions to the/plate and erably, however, the base set close under of the side wall unit, and

is interposed board tgfgive a sightly joint.

e as m ttoln side panel. Prefboard 32 will be a slightly cove out of the interior of the erably .furring pieces 31 will be provided at top and bottom of theeen said; base e up of panels or units this .finishing out.

over tlie working.

end framing pieces I i 'rders" closed by a mould Y secured in .various and flush. with. the sheathin intermediate partitions and secured by of the same general rectangular type'as the floor panels heretofore described, the said frames 30 bein finished on their under side with any suita le or desired, ceiling finish and bolted together by the tying bolts 35, the frames 30 which rest upon the side walls being fastened to the upper framing pieces 18 of the side wall panels by hook bolts 29 as heretofore described.

fruss chords 36 are provided which extend horizontally from wall to wall of the structure, being upheld, of course, by {he fig screws 37 to the framing pieces of the ceiling panels. To the said truss cords are secured the truss rafters 38 which extend upwardl to the peak of the roof. The said truss ra ters 38 are formed with ledges 38, as shown in Fig. 9, upon which ledges are seated the frames 39 of the roof panels or units which are bolted to each other and through the composition,

truss chord and truss rafter by means of the tying bolts 40. The roof panels or frames are sheathed with any suitable sheathing material as 41, the edges of which project beyond the framing so as to lap the truss rafter and give a closed joint as shown in Fig. 9 The roof as thus constructed may befinished and sealed with any desired roofing material as tin, roofing fabric, roofing or the like.v As shown'in Fig.

I 9- the roof sheathing will extend outwardly shown in Fig. 5, the partition beyond the walls at the gable and be provided with a frieze 41*, a bracket 42, and a verge board 43 to give the desired trim or At the eaves (see Figs. 2 and 8) any suitable eaves bracket may be provided to finish and support the eave extension, which extension rests preferably on a nailing strip 33. I

Ashas been heretofore explained and as ipreferably be formed as shown with the shown in holes in the corner post,

line so as to register w1th the uniformlynish 44 extending flush to the edges of the the joints frame'and preferably between the frames will be covered as shown in Fig. 5. c

The side wall panels will be similar in construction with the partition panels except that the sheathing on the inside of the panels will preferably extend not quite tothe edge of the panel frame, so as to leave, when the panels are assembled, a sli ht space or cleares 0 the sheathing as shown at 48 Figs. 6,. and 10. The purpose of this is to facilitate the making of corners and do away with the necessity of special panels for corner "construction. As Figs. 6 and 7, the corners are roviding a corner post 49 to 17 of the panels made 'b which t e raining pieces are bolted by means 0 These bolts, as shown, fasten through bolt which holes are on the frame whi e panels will by sealing strip-s 4'7 v house shown in Fig. 1, it will be seen that f. tying bolts 54..

,struction as the unit s aced holesin the panel frames, and in orer that there may be no interference between the bolts 54 they arerecessed into the when one bolt is seated corner posts so that and set up its head will be clear of the other bolt passage as clearly shown in Figs. 6 and 7'. It will be seen that when the panels are brought up to the corner post and bolted,

the inside sheathing will give a close corner 1 the outside, the corner may be finished as close assemblage of shown in Figs. 6 and 7 by -the corner H boards 52.

In the outsidefinish shown in Figs. 2 and 9, a shingle finish is shown, but-it is obvious that other trims may be provided and in Fig. 6 a trim of vertical sheathing is used. In this form,the sheathing 53 will be laid as shown, so as to break joints on the ane frames, the sheathing on one side 0 the frame ex'tendin slightly beyond the edge of that on the adjacent side of the succeeding frame does not extend quite to the edge and sealed joint. This result is obtainable by reason of the'fact that the outside sheathing, as shown in Fig. 10, is offsetrelative to I the units or panels are of uniform size and are, therefore, interchangeable, may be set up and secured together in any number, dependent on the area of the house. Furthermore, the windows and doors will be at the top and the other sheathing and the joint I so that they. I

mill-made in the units and may be installed whel e' it is at any point in the building or door and desired, and a fixed planv window installation need not be followed.

This results in great flexibility-in building and permits variation 1n plan to suit different'needs. F

In Figs. 12,13 panel having a window and 1 4 I have shown a built therein. The

unit carrying the window will be made of the 88.111165118 21116. of the same general conheretofore described, having the side 1 pieces and endpieces and &

the working spaces 57 at top/and bottom as shown in Figs. 12 and 13. Within this frame will be disposed the window casing proper which is made up of the side frames 58 blocked from the side frames of the unit as shown, a sill frame 59 being provided, and a'top piece 60 to receive thetrim bein secured, between th upper ends of the side pieces 58. The wind will be installed in this window casing and the unit will then be .finished interiorly and manner heretofore .described in connection with the other unit and as shown in Fig. 13. 1

As shown in Figs. 14nd '18, the frame and window casing thus constructed will be trimmed out and the sash installed. The trim, as disclosed, comprises the sillpiece 61, the side strips 62 and the inside trim 63. beyond the frame and is slightly inclined so as to insure water drip, coming snugly beneath the sill as shown. The outside trim extends upwardly to a point closely adjacent the working space at t e upper end of the window and is cap the drip outwardly, the frieze 67-covering the working space at the upper end ofthe frame resting upon this filling 'strip. 1 By this construction a panel, having already incourse, .with the usual own) and any suitable casing trim-oroutstalled therein a Window casing and all of the. window parts, is provided; ft will be understood that similar panels will be constructed for both'outer and inner doors, the unit system being preserved door unit, as the window unit just described; being provided and built at the mill with t e doors, including the hardware and other In F nection with the window 7 panel. It'fcomh made up of side framing prises the frame 68 pieces-and a top framing piece,- the lower framing piece 69 being inthe form of a sill piece as shown. provided the door casing madeup of thej Within this panel frame is ends engaging and securedto the cross brace 71 which, together with the-top framing piece, forms the working space or pocket 72. A jamb 73 will, shown in Fig. 15.- To the casing thus described, the door 74 -of any suitable design will .be-hung, this dodr being provided, of

ardware,

ow trim and the sash signed as to permit their 1 piece 61 projects outwardly the outside trim 64: o osure as are bottom and the sides of panels;

throughout; the 2. A finished building panel'comprising a preferably,be provided as (not aaa aaa be disposed, of course, in

the panels of this construction, so as to leave the working space 72 at the top for access to the interior, in order that the fastening bolts may be proper] installed when the am] is put in place. it the bottom of the door panel there will be or working spaces 75 at each side of the door so that the bolts for securing the sections together and the lag screws for fastening the panel to the foundation or floor may be read ilv installed.

Under the system described complete units or panels of uniform size and mill-made are provided which are convenient of transportation and handling, and which are so derapid assembling by unskilled labor into a completed house.

Such variations in structure from'this diswithin the range of mechanical. skill, must, of course, be regarded as within the scope of my invention.

claim:

1. A finished building panel comprising a rectangu1ar frame, sheathing on both sides of said frame, the sheathing on one side terininating short of the two opposed ends of the frame which constitute in use the bottom and top of the frame, whereby to affordaccess to the interior of the frame at the top of the anel, and means in the frame a jacent the ends mitting the panel to be secured to adjacent rectangular frame, sheathing on both sides of said frame,the sheathing on one side terpermitting the panel to be. secured to adjacent panels. v.

' house wallformed of aplurality of interiorly and exteriorly sheathed finished through eathing, and base working spaces.

per-

provided pockets through the working spaces provided by the short sheathing, and base and frieze boards covering said working spaces.

5. The combination in a house, of sills,

5 framed and interiorly and exteriorly sheathed wall panels the sheathing on at least one side of which is of less extent than the frame to giveaccess to the frame interiors mounted on said sills, bolts connecting said frames to one another and to said sills at points accessible through the working spaces provided by said short sheathing, ceiling panels, bolts connecting said wall and ceiling panels to one another through said Working spaces, and base and frieze boards at the bottom and top of said wall panels to close said working spaces.

6. The combination in a house, of sills, framed and finished floor panels bolted to said sills, framed and interiorly and exteriorly sheathed wall panels the sheathing on at least one side of which is of less extent than the frames to give access to the frame interiors mounted on said sills, bolts tying ing panels and said truss-chords together at points accessible through the working spaces provided by said sheathing, and base and frieze boards at bottom and top of said wall panels to close said working spaces.

7. A house construction comprising framed and finished floor, wall, and ceiling panels, said wall panels having interior and exterior sheathing the sheathing on at least one side being of less extent than the frame to permit access to the frame interior; bolts tying said frames together at points accessible through the working spaces formed by said short sheathing, and base and frieze boards at the bottom and top of said wall panels to close said working spaces. 7

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand. a

v LEWIS BRANDT. 

